


fuzzy companions

by electricangel



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Cuddling, Dating, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Other, Reminiscing, Ship, enby lake, infinity train post train au, jesse and lake are both 17 here, jesslake - Freeform, petnames, soft interactions, they/them lake
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28951665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electricangel/pseuds/electricangel
Summary: short fluffy fic to cheer myself upi make way too many jesselake fics and i apologize
Relationships: Jesse Cosay & Lake | Mirror Tulip, Lake/Jesse, gambit/jesse
Comments: 7
Kudos: 26





	1. reminiscing

**Author's Note:**

> also side note; jesse and lake are dating in this fic, they’re also older :) (lake is 17, same with jesse, they’ve both moved out of the cosay’s house and share an apartment together)

jesse closed his eyes as he lay his head against lake’s lap. they ran their hands through his hair, deep in thought. 

“how are you feeling?” he asked, glancing up at them. they smiled in turn.

“i’m okay, just thinking.” 

“about what?”

lake continued to stroke jesse’s hair, leaning against the couch as they continued to think. 

“well... we’ve been off the train for awhile now.. so i guess that.”

jesse paused.

“do you... regret being on the train? i mean, do you wish you hadn’t been on there to begin with?”

“no!” they answered almost immediately, allowing their silver hand to pause in petting his hair. jesse raised an eyebrow, looking down at the ground again.

“even if you could’ve avoided the flecs..?”

“i’d rather face them than lose something important to me.”

“and what’s that...?”

lake glanced down at him, dumbfounded as he looked on at them, confused and innocently.

“...you, dummy.”

he let out a soft laugh, relaxing against their lap again as they continued to stroke his hair. 

“i’m really that important to you?”

“duh. but don’t let it get to your head, cosay.”

jesse smiled, closing his eyes. 

“you know,” he began. “i’ve been thinking... i really miss alan dracula.”

lake couldn’t help but lower their eyebrows sympathetically.

“...me, too.”

hoping to remove the sad tension that had entered the room, jesse shifted, moving closer to lake, facing them.

“remember when the only reason you traveled with me was to spend time with him? you hated me.”

“heh.. well, you’re too nice for your own good, jess. quite personable, i dare say.” they said, half teasingly. 

“well.. you were the first person i ever met that didn’t pressure me into doing stuff. so.. thanks for that.”

lake couldn’t help but chuckle, placing a kiss on his forehead. 

“doof. what reason would i have to do that? you’re awfully sentimental today, eh?”

“yeah.. i guess so. it’s like, a free effect from dating you. you’re hella sentimental when you need to be.”

“alright, alright, casanova. how come you were thinking of alan? you seemed kinda sad when you said that.”

“yeah, i miss him. a lot. it was nice having an animal companion.” 

in an attempt to comfort him, lake rubbed his temples gently as they continued to speak. though it didn’t feel the best, since lake was made of metal, he’d grown used to it upon dating them- and had grown accustomed to it.

“you know, if you miss having an animal friend that badly, we could always get a pet.”

“what..? really? do we have the money for that?”

“we both work part time jobs. i’m sure we have enough. if it makes you happy, why not?”

“you raise a fair point, my love,” he joked. lake rolled their eyes, albeit their face was red. 

“looks like the pet store is open now. we should go before it gets dark.”

“wait, you’re serious..?”

“jesse, we’ve been dating for almost a year now, but it’s so unlike you to sulk. if getting a pet is gonna help, by all means, please.”

“haha, you care about meeee.” jesse poked jokingly, throwing his arm around his significant other as they stood up. 

“yes, i do, you dummy. now come on, let’s go.”


	2. flashbacks

jesse stared out the window of the car, his parents singing along to the music in the front. he anxiously tapped his fingers against his seat. he’d known lake for a year now, and he still didn’t have the guts to confess to them. but today, that changed. he’d planned a surprise, and he felt slight serendipity that they’d enjoy it.

“dude, you look like you’re about to puke.” lake said suddenly, making him jump. “you okay?”

he felt his nerves die down and instead, were replaced with complete serenity as he looked at them. 

“yeah, i’m okay. just uh... nervous.. for this one exam i have coming up..” he lied.

“well, if it’s any consolation, you do pretty well on exams. just.. don’t pass out from studying again, okay?”

he nodded. “okay. thanks, lake.” 

“not to interrupt this adorably sweet conversation, but we’re here! lake, if you will, please put on a blindfold.”

“a wh-“

“trust me! your surprise will be much more exciting this way!”

“alright... just don’t like, kill me.” they wrapped the blindfold around their eyes, taking jesse’s hands as he helped them out. 

“be back before dark, okay?” his mom told him. 

“sure thing, mom!” he called back, running off with lake to show them their surprise. he led them into a field of flowers, surrounded by bodies of water. it was ethereal; jesse himself, even having planned the surprise couldn’t help but feel in awe as he looked at it. he quickly grabbed the bouquet that he’d prepared, and turned on his old, retro-style radio. he’d found a compilation of the cheesiest songs he could find, knowing they’d make them laugh. 

“okay,” jesse said at last. “you can take off the blindfold.”

lake nodded, removing the cloth from their eyes. when they opened their eyes, they couldn’t help but step back, gasping. 

“jesse... this is beautiful..” they breathed, glancing at the pool of water with flowers floating in them. 

“did you do all this?”

he nodded. “there was a flood back here last night with the rainstorm, so i.. wanted the take advantage of it. i found a bunch of flowers and made this garden.. as a celebration.”

“what for...?”

“us! we’ve been off the train for a whole year now, lake! i didn’t know if you’d remember, but i wanted to celebrate.”

“aw, jesse.. this is so sweet... but what’s with the music?”

he blushed, scratching his head. “well... thats, ah...” he coughed. “lake, may i have this dance?”

they laughed, nodding. they began slowly waltzing around the field, until lake grew more bold and began to spin, lifting jesse at any chance they could.

when the song ended, lake had dipped jesse, and they remained in that position for an awkwardly long time until jesse felt a surge of confidence and said,

“i like you.” lake stood up, stepping closer to him, taking his hand in their own. 

“i know.” they replied bluntly. 

“what.. you know..?”

“you aren’t the best at hiding it, so yeah.”

“so.. do you, ah... do you feel the same way...?”

lake sighed, closing the gap between them. the kiss was short but sweet, and when lake pulled away, they said,

“is that a good enough answer for you?”

jesse blinked. 

“...yeah.”

“better than kissing your own reflection?”

“hey!” he laughed. “i told you that wasn’t me.” 

they shared a laugh before jesse spoke again.

“so.. what does that make us..?”

they paused.

“i guess.. if you’re okay with it, uh.. i guess we’re dating..?”

he turned to them, smiling softly. “yeah, i think we are.” 

for good measure, they shared a kiss again, both of them pausing every few seconds to laugh. it was a different kind of bliss they’d both rarely experienced.

“i almost forgot to give you this.” jesse said once they’d pulled apart again. he handed them the bouquet.

“are these the same flowers you used to make the garden...? they look even prettier up close...” 

“i’m glad you like them.”

“i love them... thank you..” they pulled him into a grateful hug. 

“always. hey, wanna do something fun?”

“oh god, what?”

instead of answering, jesse dived head-first into the flower pool. the water made a splash sound when he dived in.

“are you nuts?!” lake laughed, jumping in with him. the water was steeper than they anticipated, but jesse held onto them to keep them afloat. they laughed, flowers covering them like a blanket. 

their laugh was like silk and honey to jesse, and he smiled as they laughed some more, allowing the flowers to engulf them. 

after awhile, they caught him staring.

“what?”

“nothing... it’s just.. you’re beautiful. if you’re okay with me saying that.”

“yeah, i am... thank you.” they gave him a peck on the nose before placing a rose in his hair- purely for fun. in turn, jesse grabbed a handful of flowers, allowing one hand to hold onto his significant other. he placed them all in a pattern on their head.

“is that a tiny crown?”

“yep! because you RULE? get it?”

“i get it.” they humored, grabbing jesse’s other hand and swimming closer to him. they pressed their forehead softly against his- the summer heat beginning to feel more cool against his forehead. for awhile, they remained in that state, foreheads touching as their eyes remained closed, just happy to be in each other’s company. 

“hey, jesse?” lake whispered, not wanting to ruin the moment.

“yeah?”

“thanks for doing this. i don’t think i’ve ever had this much fun.”

“of course. you deserve it.” he replied simply, wrapping his arms around them and allowing his flowers from his hair to fall into theirs. 

“you’re so sappy. and i love that,” they laughed, breathing the words into his neck as they remained intimate; both of them beyond happy to finally express how they feel.

“i’m glad you like that about me, because now that you’re with me, i’ll never stop being sappy.”

“good,” they breathed. “don’t.” 

for hours, until nightfall, they remained in each other’s arms, jesse whispering sweet nothings to lake as they laughed blissfully. it was an experience neither of them would hope to ever forget.


	3. a fuzzy beginning

_______

as jesse walked alongside lake, he continued to question whether or not they truly wanted to do this.

“babe?”

“hm?”

“you’re really sure about this? pets aren’t easy to take care of, you know.” 

“i’m well aware,” they began. “but i cant bare to see you sulk any longer, so.. i’d rather deal with a difficult pet than that.” 

jesse hummed in response, allowing lake’s hand to slip into his. their hand was cold and hard, whilst his was soft and warm. total opposites. 

once they’d arrived at the store, lake paused. 

“i haven’t been out in awhile...” they said softly. “what if i’m... i mean, i don’t want...”

“lake, nobody will judge you, i promise.” he comforted, rubbing his thumb along their palm. they swallowed, nodding, and opened the door to the shop.

“jesse!” the girl at the counter chirped, waving.

“oh, right! i haven’t introduced you two,” he laughed awkwardly. “aurora, meet my significant other, lake.”

“nice to meet ya! jesse talks a lot about you, so it’s nice to actually see you in person!” she said excitedly, a smile resting on her face the whole time. 

“it’s nice to meet you, too,” they replied respectfully, returning her smile. 

“so what brings you two here today?”

“we’re hoping to get a pet.”

“ah, really? what kind?”

“well, i was thinking maybe a cat...” jesse tapped his chin. 

“of course! right this way, we have a great selection right now!” she walked over to the cages, and lake was immediately met with meowing and the sound of cats purring as they slept. 

“i’ll be at the front if you have any questions.” she smiled, walking off. the couple began to look at the cats, each of them were beyond friendly.

one, however, caught both of their eyes- it was a gray kitten, eyes blue like the morning sky. she had patches of brown fur, and she was looking at them both expectantly. 

“oh my god.” lake laughed. “she’s adorable.”

“takes one to know one, right?” jesse teased.

“you’re so charming.” they joked. they bent down to get a closer look at the kitten, who moved closer to them in reply. 

“hey, little one.” lake said softly, reaching their hand into the cage. the kitten mewed in reply, licking their metal finger and blinking in surprise as they did so. lake chuckled, petting the cat’s head with their finger. 

“she really likes you.” jesse said, facing them with a smile. 

“yeah,” lake answered, not moving from the cage. aurora returned to them, noticing lake’s behavior.

“ah, milly caught your eye, eh? she’s a good one,” she told the pair, leaning against the wall. 

“i think... i think we should take her home.” jesse said uncertainly. 

“of course. i’ll get a carrier.” she nodded, and placed the kitten inside gingerly. the cat meowed in protest, but soon relaxed and fell asleep. lake had already fallen in love, smiling at the kitten. 

jesse payed at the register, and they left the store. lake’s eyes hadn’t left the kitten since they’d gotten her, and jesse faked jealousy.

“my my, you have eyes for someone else already, have you?” he teased, making lake laugh.

“of course not, dork. as if i could ever,” they replied seriously, flicking his forehead. 

“i’m just teasing.” 

“i know.”


	4. nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> haha hurt/ comfort go brr
> 
> (or, alternatively, lake and jesse say i love you to each other for the first time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the last part for this fic!!! hope u enjoyed this drabble lol... honestly this was just me being touch starved and projecting but i hope it was entertaining! i plan to continue with this post train au series, so stay tuned!! <3 thank you for reading!!!

when jesse and lake arrived back at their apartment complex, it was late into the night. they placed a small nest of blankets for the kitten to rest in, then they settled in and went to sleep, both of them too tired to even head to their room and instead falling asleep on the couch, close in proximity, as they’d done before. 

the night went by slowly. the soft snores that echoed through the room lured jesse to sleep.

all was silent throughout the night, until lake began to shake in their sleep. jesse shifted to see their face scrunched, and tears welling at the edges of their eyes as they whimpered, mumbling things such as ‘stay back’ and other things that made jesse worry. after a few hours of tossing and turning, lake woke up with a gasp, clutching their shirt and sweating. they’d moved to the other side of the couch; and they didn’t appear to be fully awake yet, so jesse gingerly wrapped his arms around them, letting them sob into his shirt, not caring how much it became tear-stained.

“hey,” he said silently, when they’d awoken fully. “are you okay..?”

lake was still shaking, tears sliding like icicles off their face. they glanced up at him, a moment of vulnerability that was a rare sight. they looked away, shaking their head, letting out a shaky sigh. 

jesse placed a hand on their back, rubbing it gently.

“what happened? did you have another nightmare?” 

lake nodded, slowly. ever since their escape from the train, nearly every night was filled with nightmares, and it had unfortunately become a routine occurrence, one in which jesse was almost always prepared for.

“i just.. keep dreaming about the flecs and... what i did to mace... jesse, i’m....” they shuddered, pulling away from jesse’s chest and wrapping their arms around themselves as they continued to speak. 

“i killed mace.... i’m a murderer...” they choked out, burying their face in their hands. “i’m a murderer...” they repeated. 

“lake...” he whispered. “you were only defending yourself... if you hadn’t done that, you would’ve been killed. and i know it’s hard... thinking about what you did, but it was self defense. i know you’re not a bad person, lay, and you’d never do that on purpose.”

“i know, but i....” the room began to shrink. “do i even... do i even deserve to be here...? i tricked my prime... she would’ve been stuck in my world, and i... i was selfish, i only wanted to leave so i could see the world on my own, but i... hurt others in the process and...” 

“lake, you absolutely deserve to be here. you’re a person, just like me, and just like tulip. you didn’t deserve to live your life as someone’s reflection. tulip knew what you wanted, what you needed, to do, and she supported that enough to help you escape. i promise, you absolutely deserve to be here.” he coaxed. 

lake slowly inched closer to him once again, stifling small sobs once again, their hand balled into a fist on their lap.

“jesse...” their voice was barely audible.

“yes...?”

“please...” they cried out. “please... don’t leave me again...”

“lake,” jesse inhaled, glancing down at them with sympathy. “i’ll never leave you again. i promise. i’m so, so sorry, lake. i never meant to leave you behind.”

“but...” they paused, steadying their voice. “we’re here now, right?”

jesse smiled. “that’s right. and nothing will ever pull us apart again, i can promise you that.” 

lake smiled, allowing themselves to let out a gentle, pained laugh. milly still slept peacefully in the corner of the room, undisturbed by the conversation or anything prior.

then, lake let out a comfortable sigh as they laid their head on jesse’s shoulder, and spoke the words they’d never spoken before; but waited for the right moment to say.

“jesse?”

he glanced at them, responding nonverbally; hoping his attention sufficed. lake took a deep breath, and then...

“jesse... i love you,” they said, earnestly. “i love you so much.” they enunciated.

jesse couldn’t help but feel joy the second those words left their lips, and with a beaming smile, that had become signature to him; he replied,

“i love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> author’s note: thank you all so much for the love on this fic!! i did not expect this to get so much exposure but i really genuinely appreciate it!! id initially wrote this to cheer myself up and didn’t plan on posting it but i’m beyond glad it made some of you happy <3 thank u once again 💖💖💖


End file.
